Educating Surgeons to Educate Patients About the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The spring of 2020 has been a trying time for the global medical community as it has faced the latest pandemic, COVID-19. This contagious and lethal virus has impacted patients and health care workers alike. Elective surgeries have been suspended, and the very core of our health care system is being strained. The following brief communication reviews pertinent details about the virus, delaying elective surgeries, and what patients can do during this time. The goal is to disseminate factual data that surgeons can then use to educate their patients.

Public Interest in Knee Replacement Fell during the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Google Trends Analysis

“…We therefore recommend that surgeons and our representatives focus on outreach and education regarding the safety and efficacy of knee replacement. Furthermore, as surgeons begin to resume elective knee replacement, they should be educating patients on the precautions being undertaken to ensure patient safety is of paramount importance in these uncertain times [19].…”

Total Joint Arthroplasty During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review with Implications for Future Practice

“…Following the initial title/abstract screen, 78 articles were assessed for eligibility in the full-text phase. Ultimately, 48 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included for analysis [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ]. All of these studies were categorized as level IV or level V Evidence, representing low-quality studies ( Table 1 ).…”

“…Twenty-five studies documented the impact of COVID-19 on future clinical or operational workflow ( Table 2 ) [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 15 , 18 , 19 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 29 , 30 , 32 , 33 , 35 , 37 , 38 , 41 , 44 , 45 , 49 , 50 ]. Of these, fourteen studies detailed the importance of establishment and updating of an effective COVID-19 screening protocol [ 5 , 6 , 10 , 11 , 18 , 19 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 29 , 32 , 33 , 37 , 38 ].…”

“…Further, Gruskay et al noted that a positive chest x-ray did not significantly improve the negative predictive value of symptom screening [ 26 ]. Eleven studies documented the importance of risk stratification of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 18 , 22 , 29 , 44 , 45 ]. Due to poorer surgical outcomes of patients with comorbidities, these authors noted that potential complications would result in excessive consumption of additional hospital resources postoperatively.…”

“…Twenty-two articles addressed the current and future use of technology in providing care for orthopedic patients ( Table 2 ) [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 11 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 25 , 28 , 29 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 36 , 38 , 39 , 42 , 43 , 45 , 47 , 49 ]. Two studies reported cross-sectional data on the usage of telemedicine, noting that the vast majority of providers had adopted the technology, but that there were differences in adoption by country and associations of adoption with the presence of a COVID-19 hotspot location [ 14 , 39 ].…”